


Is that you Santa Claus?

by colazitron



Series: 2018 December Holiday Fic Countdown [19]
Category: SKAM (Norway)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-23 19:08:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17086034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colazitron/pseuds/colazitron
Summary: Even agrees to play Santa for his neighbour's sister's kids.





	Is that you Santa Claus?

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** i am in no way affiliated with the characters depicted herein or their creators.
> 
>  **A/N:** For anon. Also for the evakteket SKAMEnger hunt prompt "family gathering"

Despite how they’ve both got some loaded memories about December and Christmas, they’re both usually a fan of it. Even loves the kitch and the cinematic aesthetic of it, how so much of the city tries to turn itself into a glittering, gløgg-smelling winter wonderland. And Isak likes the quiet that comes around the actual holidays. Sure, when there are kids around there’s usually not much actual quiet, but there’s something about the way everything seems to settle in the week between Christmas and New Year’s that really appeals to Isak.

And, yes, it’s not like that for everyone, some people still have to work, for some it’s still super busy, some just don’t care and it’s a week like every other yadda yadda yadda. But _for Isak_ , that week has always felt almost out of time. Like the world had pressed pause and you get to take a moment to just... be.

This year, Isak feels like they need that break more than ever. Even’s in his last year of his degree, and even though he’s still got another entire term to go, the weight of it is already visibly dragging him down. Isak tries his best to make all the other parts of life as easy as possible for him, but in a shit turn of events, stuff has been piling up for him too. Due to a scheduling conflict with some of his own classes, he’s had to find a new job, which left them with less money for the first two months of the term. He got himself a Saturday position for the duration of the Christmas period and until the end of January, but after that he’s going to have to find something else again. And his mum and dad have decided to call their whole “trying again” business quits again - almost exactly on the anniversary of their first split. Isak doesn’t know if it’s a result of that, but his mum’s slipping a little more again now so though he does try to see her often, it doesn’t feel like nearly enough right now.

In short, they’re both exhausted and just about done with December, and festivity, and the stupidly upbeat attitude that Christmas seems to kind of demand. They ducked out early of Eva’s annual Christmas bash yesterday, staying barely long enough to chat with their closest friends before going home again. Today they’ve done a grand amount of nothing.

Some showering, some food, some wrapping the presents they’re bringing to Even’s parents’ place tonight. But other than that they’ve been lying in bed together all day, talking and watching movies, cuddling and kissing occasionally.

It’s odd, because they see each other every day, but Isak almost feels like he’s missed Even over the last few weeks. They’ve both been so run down there wasn’t much energy left to really connect with each other and they’ve lived side by side more than really with each other, he thinks.

Now, with Even’s fluffy jumper slightly itchy and too warm under his cheek, he feels all those parts inside him that are usually so interwoven with Even’s and have felt loose and unmoored settle again. Like there’s a wound that’s starting to heal. Or maybe something less pretentious, Jesus Christ.

Isak is just really glad they get to have a few hours to themselves today.

“This is nice,” Even says, probably making Isak's hair all greasy by running his fingers through it for what feels like close to an actual hour.

“Hmm,” he hums in agreement. It is nice. It'd be even nicer if they could just stay here indefinitely, but like idiots, they promised Even would play Santa for their neighbour's sister's kids before they go to have Christmas Eve dinner with Even's parents. So actually, they probably have to get up and get dressed soon.

“When do we need to be at Anne's sister's place again?” Isak asks.

“You don't have to come,” Even says immediately. “Really, I mean it. You can go ahead to my parents’ place.”

“I'm not gonna do that,” Isak says. “I'm not letting you trudge halfway across town by yourself on Christmas Eve, come on.”

“Okay, so how are you going to explain to her kids why you're there?” Even asks.

“I'm Santa's boyfriend. Duh,” Isak says.

Even laughs quietly and presses a kiss to Isak's hair.

“Duh,” he agrees.

“I can wait outside, or, like, in the hall. Or we can say that Santa needs a guide to find his way around Oslo. I don't know, we'll think of something,” Isak says.

“You are not waiting in the cold. What kind of Santa let's their boyfriend wait in the cold? What kind of example would that be?” Even blusters. “Absolutely not.”

Isak shifts a little so he can look up at Even from his vantage point on his chest, smiling up at him.

“Okay,” he acquiesces easily. This whole back and forth is ridiculous anyway. Even won't be going alone and Isak won't wait in the cold. They're doing Anne's sister (Matte?) a favour. She'll have to deal with Santa having a boyfriend.

Even smiles back down at him and then grips Isak's shoulder, pulling him up a little. Isak follows the motion and tilts his head up a little more, meeting Even in a sweet, chaste kiss.

“We gotta leave in like half an hour,” Even mumbles in between one kiss and the next.

Isak hums in consideration.

“That leaves us 20 minutes,” he says.

“Whatever will we do?” Even asks, grin pressed to Isak's.

“We'll think of something.”

There's not a lot of thinking involved, in the end, but that's the best kind of kissing, if you ask Isak. The kind where your mind chills out and lets you just experience every touch, every sound.

They do eventually have to get dressed and go, though. Anne brought over a Santa suit for Even the other day, so Even packs a change of clothes with their presents for his parents in Isak's backpack and slips into the suit. Isak watches him grimace at the feeling of the material, and leans in for another kiss.

“Do it for the children,” he says.

“You do it for the children,” Even grumbles, but Isak can see the way the corners of his mouth twitch into a smile.

They slip on their shoes and coats and scarves, and Isak grabs the backpack. Even looks up behind them and then they're off. They walk in silence, hands swinging between them. Marte (Isak's Pretty sure it's Marte) lives a lot further out than they do, so they take the metro, but with the help of their phones they find their way to hers easily.

Marte (Isak was right), ushers them in with a huge smile on her face when they text her to announce their arrival, and doesn't have any kind of issue with Santa having brought his boyfriend. The kids are adorable, staring at Even with wide mouths and eyes and Even puts on a show for them. Handing presents out slowly, praising them for being well-behaved, and telling them to give everyone they love a good hug.

Isak watches him from the doorway to the living room, leaning against the doorframe. Santa having a boyfriend was accepted by the kids easily, but he's not nearly, as interesting as actual Santa who, after all, has their presents. Marte invites them to stay a bit, have some cookies, something to drink, and the kids all chime in excitedly. Isak feels almost cruel for stepping in, but he can see Even's shoulders start to slump his enthusiasm start to fade, and so he takes a step away.

“Actually, Santa still needs to go visit some other houses,” he says.

The kids pout, but Even takes the cookies they point out as having been decorated by them personally, and tells them they're the prettiest cookies he's ever seen. They seem mollified by this, and when they turn back to their new toys, Even uses the moment of distraction to slip away. Marte hands them a paper bag full of homemade cookies as a thank you and Even promises to have Anne give the suit back as soon as possible.

Without much further ado they're back outside, but when Isak Checks the time an entire hour has passed since they got here. It didn't feel like that long, but Even's gait is slower and he doesn't chatter about Marte's children and how adorable they were like he might have another day.

(They were very adorable, all three of them trying to sit in Even's lap at the same time. Isak feels like just watching gave him a cavity.)

“Holding up okay?” Isak asks as they make their way back down to the metro, and Even sighs.

“Yeah, I'm okay,” he says. “Just tired.”

“Wanna skip your parents? I'm sure they'll understand if we come by tomorrow instead,” Isak suggests.

“No, I'll be fine when we get there,” Even says. “I just don't think I'll be very good company till then.”

Isak Smiley and bumps their shoulders together.

“That's okay.”

They wait for the metro leaning against each others’ sides, and on the train Even slumps in his seat, putting his head on Isak's shoulder. Isak takes out his phone with his other hand and scrolls idly through social media, while Even probably rests his eyes or something. He flinches once or twice, and when Isak looks down at him, he realises he's actually fallen asleep.

In a little while they'll have to switch trains, but for now, Isak only leans over to press the barest whisper of a kiss to Even's forehead, and lets him rest.

 

**The End**


End file.
